Tag archive for » ticks «

Well Spring is upon us and this marks the start of flea season with all of its challenges if you own pets. For years at The Big Bad Woof, we have recommended holistic products exclusively to all of our customers both using internal and topical products to help repel and kill fleas and ticks. Some of our favorites are:

Earth Animal Flea & Tick Prevention products

Natural Chemistry’s Shampoos and Sprays

K9 Granola’s Flea Preventative topicals and internal tablets

Pet Naturals Protect

Shoo tags natural repellents worn as a tag on the collar

The last two years we have had a problem with our older female dog who gets a staph infection from flea bites. After counsel with both our traditional vet, Dr. Rebecca Bolch, and our integrative vet, Dr. Leanne Lipton, we are resolved to the fact that we need to use a topical pesticide for her which will be less damaging at 12+ years old than another staph infection. Which to use?

Both vets agreed that Advantage was the safest for her in this case but my partner and I were still worried in case there were side effects. Fortunately, we brought this up to our colleague, Dr. Christine Bessent and she had a great suggestion which makes sense to us to help mitigate the effects of this pesticide on our old dog.

Start with Herbsmith’s Clear AllerQI on the day you administer the topical, then follow up with an additional 4 days using Clear AllerQi to help dispel heat and cool the system, based on traditional Chinese Medicine.

“According to Chinese medical theory, the liver acts as a pump that provides the smooth flow of energy, or Qi (pronounced “chee”), within the body. When allergies lead to Liver Qi Stagnation, an imbalance within the liver, the “pump” overheats and produces skin that may be hot to the touch. The herbs in Herbsmith Clear AllerQi ® harmonize the liver and clear this heat without hindering the dog’s overall vitality.”

So we are going to use both an Eastern Herbal Formula and a Western Preventive and hopefully protect our wonderful girl Tumo this year from another vicious cycle of staph >>> antibiotics >>> probiotics >>>and round we go again.

Locavores

Bethesda Cares and Full Plate Ventures launched Farm to Freezer this summer with support from a diverse network of volunteers, Churches’ donated kitchen space, and businesses. Bethesda Cares’ meals manager who cooks a hot lunch for 40-70 each day uses the